Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a wheel made out of a fiber reinforced plastic material.
Discussion of Related Art
DE102011087936B3 was published in February 2013 in the name of Thyssen Krupp Carbon Components GmbH. It describes a wheel made out of a fiber reinforced plastic and a method for producing such type of wheel. According to the document, a wheel is characterized by layers of reinforcing fibers which extend from the rim well over the outer rim bead (flange) to wheel disk without interruption. The wheel disk fades to the outer rim bead. The process to manufacture such a wheel comprises the lay-up of reinforcing fibers on forming tools, which are essentially cylindrically shaped. In order to build the wheel disk, reinforcing fibers are laid on the contour surfaces of essentially cylindrically shaped auxiliary forming tools. The auxiliary tools then are removed and the laid fibers are folded into a plane, which is perpendicular to the rotation axis of the wheel to build.
DE102011077834A1 was published in December 2012 in the name of Bayerische Motoren Werke AG. It describes amongst others a method for producing a wheels made out of a fiber reinforced plastic. Therefore, an injection molding or a transfer molding process using a fiber reinforced plastic is applied. The wheel is structurally reinforced (augmented) by the insertion of bands consisting of long fibers into the spokes as well as the rim.
DE102010010513A1 was published in September 2011 in the name of Leichtbau-Zentrum Sachsen GmbH. It describes among others a method for producing of a wheel with a rim made out of a fiber reinforced plastic. The connection between the wheel disk and the rim is established by peripheral braiding of a preformed wheel disk.
DE102005041940B4 was published in March 2007 in the name of Thyssen Krupp Carbon Components GmbH. It describes a wheel made out of a fiber reinforced plastic as well as a method for producing such a wheel. A wheel according to the invention comprises an auxiliary tool which at least partially defines the geometry of the resulting wheel. This auxiliary tool is wrapped by a braided hose, which is inserted into a central bore at the rotation axis of the resulting wheel, expanded and subsequently inverted.
WO13083123 was published in June 2013 in the name of ThyssenKrupp Carbon Components GmbH and shows a wheel with a rim made of fiber reinforced material. The document discloses a connection between wheel disk and rim by connecting at least two partial layers of the wheel disk to the rim by laying contoured joining zones of the partial layers alongside the centripetal contour of the rim. As well, the document discloses methods to produce said wheel.
WO13083500 was published in June 2013 in the name of ThyssenKrupp Carbon Components GmbH and shows a wheel with a wheel spider. The spokes of the wheel spider are made of a fiber reinforced material and comprise linear textile strands that extend at least once without interruption from the rim to the wheel's hub and back. The ends of the textile strands are laid alongside to the centripetal contour of the rim. As well, the document discloses methods to produce said wheel.
Problems of existing wheel concepts may result from an insufficient mechanical connection between the spoke structure or wheel disk and the rim.
WO13083729 was published in June 2013 in the name of the same applicant. It describes a wheel made out of fiber reinforced material. The wheel comprises an insert in the center of the wheel which is partially embedded in the composite material.